


Homecoming

by pandorabox82



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24508063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorabox82/pseuds/pandorabox82
Summary: Aaron finally decides that it's time to come home to Quantico. Who will be there to welcome him?
Relationships: Penelope Garcia/Aaron Hotchner
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	Homecoming

"Aaron!"

He looked up into the face of his son, blinking slowly as he started to frown. "Jack, you know…"

"That I don't call you by your first name? Yeah, well, you weren't listening to me! I was calling your name for the last two minutes, and you never responded. I have to leave for my soccer tournament, like, now. Are you going to join me or not?"

Aaron groaned a little, the quick glance at his watch telling him that he was indeed close to being late in getting his son to the field. "I am, yes. Give me two seconds to get my shoes on, and I'll join you in the car."

Jack nodded sharply, a black look still on his face as he turned and stomped from the room, clearly not amused with the fact that he had lost track of time. The moody teenage years had truly entered their home, and while he didn't blame Jack for being frustrated, he still wanted to let him know that it wasn't okay. A part of him knew that he would have to say something to Jack about that on their way home, since he didn't want to put him in a worse mood before this game, since it was important to him, and he wanted his son to do well.

Shaking his head, he tried to clear out the thoughts that had led to his woolgathering as he got to his feet, shoving his phone into his pocket and heading into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge before taking his keys off the hook and going into the garage. Jack was already in the passenger seat, and Aaron smiled at him, wanting to pull him out of his funk. A small smile flickered across his face before he turned his head to stare at the dashboard. Aaron smirked as he opened the garage door and then climbed into the car, backing out of his spot and thanking God for his lead foot as he drove to the high school.

"So, who were you thinking about?"

Aaron took a deep breath as he wondered what to tell his son. He had known that this transition to high school had been difficult for Jack, that this reaction was a result of his feeling the need to remain in WitSec for a few more years, but it was still hard to see his son turn into a sullen young man who desperately missed his family. Not that Aaron didn't miss his family, as well. Jessica was a constant on his mind, especially now that she had found love, and had married last year. And then there was Penelope. His Penelope. "I was thinking about making a change in the next few months. I know that you haven't really found a niche here, even for how skilled you are on the soccer field. And I am missing home quite a bit. Emily informed my handler that they're confident that we should no longer be in danger. Would you want to return to Quantico?"

"Do you even have to ask that, Dad? Of course I want to return home! I miss Aunt Jessica so much, even though we do get to send letters every so often. When can we leave?"

Aaron chuckled as he shrugged. "You have to finish this year of school, and I need to start the paperwork. It's not something that can be done in a day. Plus, I'll need to find us a home, since the old place sold soon after we left. But if you're certain, I can start the ball rolling on Monday."

That news had the reaction that he was hoping for, and Jack nodded as he gave him a wide grin. "I am beyond certain, Dad. And I'm sorry I was a jerk earlier. I've just been so frustrated with a lot of stuff."

"I get it, I'd be frustrated, too. But soon we'll be home." Jack nodded as he gave him a large smile, and Aaron knew that he had made the right choice to talk about this decision now, knowing that they had to be home for their hearts truly to grow and heal.

Aaron had told Jack that it would take some time to get the ball rolling, and that had turned out to be quite true, as it took until the beginning of July to finish all the paperwork and find a house for them to live. He had lucked out, managing to purchase a home close to Jessica, which meant that Jack would be able to spend a lot of time with his aunt and grandfather. And then they had had to arrange for movers to get their belongings from Ohio to Virginia, which took even more time, as they were in transit at one of the most popular times to move.

Still, as he and Jack pulled into the driveway of their new home, he couldn't help but feel a touch of apprehension at being back in this place. This place that had taken everything from him, and left him with holes in his heart that nothing had every been able to fill. And then, Jessica was stepping out onto the porch, joy radiating off her features as she waved wildly to them. Aaron through the car into park, allowing Jack to jump out of the vehicle and race towards his aunt, enveloping her in a hug that nearly knocked her off her feet. He chuckled as he turned the vehicle off and ambled over to their sides, trying not to call attention to the fact that both Jack and Jessica were openly crying as they stared into each other's faces. "I expected you to grow, I didn't think it would be this much. You look so much like your mumma," Jessica whispered as she stroked Jack's hair.

"Dad's said the same thing. I'm hoping that you have pictures to show me, since we couldn't bring them with us, since we were in the Program. I miss seeing Mom's face."

Jessica nodded as she led him inside the house. Aaron decided to give them some space to get reacquainted as he looked around the yard. It was smaller than what they had had, but still, this was now home once more, and he would make it theirs with time. Drawing in a deep breath, he closed his eyes firmly as he breathed in the familiar air of this place, and as he did so, a very familiar perfume began to fill his senses, and he felt a familiar presence come up behind him. Turning, he slid his eyes open and found himself looking into the sweet brown eyes of Penelope Garcia. "Hiya, Boss Man," she whispered, her lips trembling a little as she stopped in front of him.

"Hi. How did you…?"

"Jessica. She called to let me know so that I could tell the rest of the team. Unfortunately, they're out on a case right now, so they couldn't be here. Rossi said that he'll stop by in a few days, once they're back, with food and wine. Until then, I'm all you get."

"No, that's the wrong all, Penelope." She blinked owlishly as she stared at him, and then he shook his head a little as he stepped forward, his hand coming forward to rest on her shoulder as he continued to gaze at her face. She had lost weight during the years that had separated them, but then, so had he, and it would just take time to grow accustomed to her new shape. But her face was still sweet, and before he could stop himself, before he could ask permission, he was leaning down and pressing a brief, soft, kiss. Penelope's reaction was not what he was expecting to such an unexpected action, but she was the one who pressed her body flush against his as she deepened the kiss, one of her hands pressing the back of his head closer to her, the other spreading out on his back in order to hold him in place.

"Sorry," she said a bit breathlessly when she ended the kiss, stepping away to smooth her hair a little, a deep blush staining her face and upper chest. "I just went for it."

"I kissed you first, but I guess that answers the question of whether or not I should have done it." He chuckled nervously as he smoothed his hand over his head, feeling like he was blushing as well. Penelope nodded and then stepped closer to him again, reaching out and placing her hand on his face, her thumb tracing the outline of a new scar there. "I was mowing the lawn and ran over a twig."

"It lends you a rakish air. I like it." Penelope let out a small sigh before she kissed him once more. "I have to make up for lost time, you know. And I don't know how much I'll see you, even if I have a private sector job now. Jess didn't realise that when she called me."

He nodded as he slipped his arm around her waist and led her inside. There were a thousand questions that he wanted to ask her, that he wanted to find out, but he knew that he couldn't exclude Jack from the conversation, so he resigned himself to sitting back as everyone talked and grew reacquainted with each other. Aaron wasn't surprised to find his son and Jessica seated in the living room, their furniture already in place. Taking a look around, he knew that he would probably rearrange things in the coming weeks, but this would work for now, since he was too tired from driving for the last two days to do so once Jessica and Penelope went home.

"This is the perfect little house, Hotch!" Penelope exclaimed as she took a seat on the sofa next to Jessica, knocking shoulders with her before looking back up at him. "And you're close to my apartment, so I can feel safe, knowing that you're in the area."

"If the two of you are just going to flirt the evening away, I can help Aunt Jekkah make supper, or you could give her a tour and make certain to show every room of the house," Jack said pointedly, and Jessica had to stifle her giggle as she looked at the floor, trying to keep her composure.

"Point taken, Jackers. How have you liked high school so far?" Penelope asked as Aaron took a seat in his chair, watching the conversation between his son and Penelope. It was so nice to just listen to them talk, to pick up on the things that had changed in her life, and in the lives of his friends, over the years that he had been gone. After half an hour had flown by, Jessica got to her feet and went over to him. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she wanted to talk to him, and he nodded as he got to his feet. "Where are you going?"

"I need some help making dinner for us all. Don't worry, we'll be back shortly, while it's cooking. And you are staying, right? I mean, since you came by to check in on us and all."

Once more, Penelope blushed before nodding, and Aaron dipped his chin a little before following Jessica into the kitchen. "I didn't realise that we'd have food stocked already. I was planning on going to the store tomorrow to stock up."

"Do you really think that I'd let that happen? No way! I'm here to take care of you and Jack. Now, since we're alone, when are you going to ask Penelope out?"

He choked on the breath he had just drawn in, giving her a small glare before pouring himself a glass of water as she began to putter around the room, pulling out ingredients for the dish she was going to make. "Remember, Penelope is a vegetarian."

"Pescatarian, actually. I'm not the only one who can do research, Aaron." Jessica patted his shoulder as she rinsed off the broccoli before starting to cut it into florets. "But not to worry, I'm making a vegetarian pot pie, of sorts. Though if you want to take over rinsing and cutting the veggies, I can get started on making the crust. And you haven't answered my question. When are you going to ask her out?"

He had forgotten that Haley and Jessica had both inherited their stubborn streaks from their father, and he sighed as he took the knife from her hands, watching as she pulled out a large mixing bowl and started to throw together the ingredients for the dough. "I've been home for less than two hours, and you're already fixing me up?"

"I wouldn't put it that way. I just know that she's been half in love with you since that time you were in surgery, and she refused to leave your side. And that the feelings are most likely reciprocated based on the way that you kissed her on the porch."

"You saw that?"

"It was pretty difficult not to notice, you were kissing for a good five minutes or more." He cleared his throat as he added the broccoli to the casserole dish before rinsing off the asparagus and starting to chop the stalks. "Seriously, you know as well as I do that life is short. You're home now, and there's nothing holding you back from dating her. Neither of you are with the FBI any longer."

She did have a point, there wasn't anything restricting their personal lives any longer, and he took a few deep breaths before answering her. "This was the reason that I wanted to come home, actually. Because I knew that Jack needed his family, and I needed…"

"You needed to feel once more. You can only take so much before you need to find your way home." Even though her hands were knuckle deep in dough, she leaned over and ghosted her lips against his cheek. "Everyone deserves happiness, and I know that Haley told you to find love once more. It didn't work out with Beth, because you weren't right for each other, she was just the one to help you start to heal. Now, though, is the perfect time to be with the one who is right for you. Just know that I expect to be a part of the wedding, in some way."

Aaron let out a sharp laugh as he finished the asparagus and moved on to the carrots. "That certain of something that hasn't even started yet? We could start dating and find out that we aren't compatible."

"Aaron, please. She's called you her Hotch Rocket, remember? You told me about that incident. If she was uncomfortable with you, or didn't think that you were someone worth teasing and cajoling? You would so not have ended up with that nickname."

Jessica had a point, and he hated that she was probably right. "I will give you that one," he finally conceded, seeing the smirk that flashed across her face. "Just because I give you one does not mean that you're always right, Jess!"

"Oh, I have missed this," she said as she began to roll the dough out into a flat disc. "It is so good to have you home. Pop the oven on to 375, will you?" He nodded, setting the knife down as he reached out and turned it on. "All right, as soon as you finish up with the carrots, you can go back into the living room, and I'll finish up the rest. There's not too much left now."

Aaron smirked as he did as told, knowing that he was being shooed out of the kitchen do to his slowness. Some things really never did change, and once the last carrot slices were in the dish, he washed his hands before hurriedly making his way back to the living room before Jessica could change her mind. Jack and Penelope were still talking, though it appeared they had moved on to video games, and he found himself just as lost as he had been when he had left the room. "Well, Jessica is almost finished with the pot pie, how about we take a small tour of the house to kill the time?"

"As long as we find my room first, Dad."

He nodded, watching as they got to their feet, Jack bounding on ahead of them, his long legs eating up the distance to the staircase. Penelope paused by his side, her hand hovering at her side as if she was uncertain of what to do next. He removed that doubt from her mind by taking hold of her hand, threading their fingers together in an unspoken display of unity, and the smile that she gave him stole his breath away. "I want you to stay after dinner. There's something that I want to ask you."

"Okay, Aaron." His name sounded right when she said it, and he nodded as they began to make their way upstairs. The walls needed pictures, and he wondered how they would lay them out, since Jack deserved a say in how they decorated. "I really do love this house. When Jessica told me that you had bought it, I was really glad. It's one of those old masterpiece places that needs the right person to live in it, and you're just that person."

"I just wanted to be somewhere close to Jessica. After all the time we spent apart, I knew that I wanted Jack with his family." She nodded as they reached the top of the stairs, a small gasp slipping from her lips as she looked around. "It is rather magnificent," he said, never taking his gaze off her. She blushed a little under his scrutiny, and for a moment, he wanted to kiss her, only for Jack's voice to ring out.

"I found my room, Dad! Where are you? Does being old make you slow?"

Penelope giggled as she let go of his hand to head towards his son's voice. "Come along, slowpoke!" she said with a giggle, and he shook his head as they slipped into the room at the end of the hall. Even though there was only the bed there, he knew that Jack would soon make it his own, since all his stuff was in boxes on the floor. "Do you like this room?"

"Yeah, the view is great! I can look outside each morning and see if the weather is good enough to play soccer! I'm hoping to make a summer league, since that will help my chances of making it onto the varsity team in the fall."

"Say no more! I'll look up different leagues in the area and send them your way tomorrow." Jack grinned as he nodded, stepping forward to hug her quickly. "Ah, sweetheart, even though you're so big now, you still have the same heart."

"Thanks, Penelope. Now, I'm going to go help Aunt Jessica, you two can explore up here."

From the look his son gave him, Aaron knew that Jack knew exactly what was in his heart, and he shook his head a little, a bemused smile on his lips. Jack shrugged as he brushed past them, and he waited until they were completely alone before looking at Penelope. "That was sort of obvious."

"A little. But since we're alone now, you can ask me that thing that you wanted to?"

He knew that he was backed into the corner, and as he led her across the hall, he took a deep breath. "There was another reason that I came home, and that reason was you. This might be a bit presumptuous, but…"

"Considering that you've just led me into your bedroom, I think that asking me to be your girlfriend is not the presumptuous thing here." She giggled at him a little before pulling the bedroom door closed and leaning back against it, giving him a knowing smirk. "And since we're really alone now, you can kiss me again, and know that I am more than honored to be your girlfriend, Aaron Hotchner."

He sucked in a low breath as he nodded, leaning down and kissing her just as gently as he had for the first time that afternoon. She immediately deepened the kiss, wrapping her leg around his hip as her hand once more became buried in his hair. The kiss was hungry, full of passion, and everything he had assumed kissing her would be, and it was difficult to tear himself away from her, knowing that they couldn't allow their passions to take control, as they had to think about Jessica and Jack, and so he once more reluctantly pulled away from her, his gaze caught by the thoroughly delicious way her breasts heaved against the fabric of her dress.

"Oh, Boss Man, do you have any idea how much I want you?"

"As much as I want you, most likely. So, I guess that there is chemistry between us."

"Sugar, the chemistry between us has been brewing for close to a decade at this point. Now, it's just a powder keg, ready to explode. But I suppose that I can be patient for a few more days, if it means I get to take a ride on my Hotch Rocket." She gave him a saucy wink before dancing away from him to look at the bedroom. "The light comes from the west, so it would dapple our skin as it went down. That will be nice."

"That certain you're going to fall asleep in my bed?" he asked, trying to get his balance back. From the heated look she threw his way, he half expected himself to self-immolate, and then she was stalking back over to his side, her hips swaying seductively until she was fully in his space once more. "I take that as a yes."

"A very large one, mister." She kissed him once more, hard and fast, and he groaned a little when she stepped back. "Now, show me the rest of the house. There has to be more than the bedrooms and the living room, after all." Aaron laughed as he nodded, slipping his arm around her waist. The movement felt right, the position felt right, and they both sighed in unison as they made their way back into the hall. "Seriously, Aaron, I have missed you so much, and being your girlfriend was always a dream that my heart held onto in hopes that someday it might come true. I guess I'm an even larger romantic than you might have guessed. This? This is my dream come to life."

"All dreams should someday come true," he murmured as they made their way down the hall and into the other rooms. "There would be room up here for an office, which we both could use. I plan on being a prosecutor once more, and have a few interviews next week."

"I could always help you with that."

"No, Penny. You have a private sector job now, I can't let you risk that."

"Still my gallant Boss Man," she murmured as she snuggled in close to his side. "That, at least, hasn't changed about you. Now, we should probably head downstairs and see how dinner is progressing. And maybe afterwards, we could take a quick walk around the block and talk about what we've been up to in the last few years." He nodded and pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head before guiding her downstairs, looking forward to the evening ahead.


End file.
